Course of social support and associations with distress after partial laryngectomy

Abstract

Purpose

Social support has been shown to be positively associated with quality of life and adjustment after a cancer diagnosis. The present study investigates the course of social support up to one year after partial laryngectomy and its association with distress.

Design

Longitudinal questionnaire study.

Sample

A total of 428 patients after partial laryngectomy (mean age: 64, SD = 11, 91% male).

Methods

Patients completed questionnaires before treatment (t1), one week after a partial laryngectomy (t2), 3 months (t3), and one year (t4) thereafter. Social support was evaluated at t2, t3, and t4 using a brief version of the Social Support Questionnaire. Distress was measured at t2, t3, and t4 using the HADS. Descriptive statistics for social support were computed across the three measurement points. Changes were analyzed by Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Associations with distress were identified using linear regression analyses.

Findings

Social support increased between t2 and t3 and decreased to baseline level between t3 and t4. Distress at t2 was associated with social support at t2 (B = −0.15, p < 0.01) and distress at t3 with social support at t3 (B = −0.19, p < 0.01). Distress at t4 was related to social support at t2 (B = −0.10, p = 0.05).

Conclusions

Although perceived social support increases after partial laryngectomy, it decreases again during the course of aftercare.

Implications for Psychosocial Providers or Policy

Social support resources should be assessed to identify patients at risk for worse psychological well-being.

Keywords:

• Social support
• distress
• laryngeal cancer
• partial laryngectomy
• prospective study

Disclosure statement

SS received a grant from Pfizer, honoraria from Lilly, and lecture fees from Pfizer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Boehringer Ingelheim; all were outside of this study. All other authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethics approval

All procedures performed within this study were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments. Approval was granted by the Ethics Committee of University of Leipzig (#044-2007).

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by the German Cancer Aid (grant number #107440 and #109604).